Please join me in supporting H.R. 1453 – Reaffirming DHS Commitment to Countering All Forms of Extremism. This bill would ensure that extremism, not just Islamist extremism, is targeted and countered equally.

A
report from The George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security found that Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) efforts are often deterred by a lack of funding, lack of lead agency intervention and resistance from Muslim communities,
who often find countering strategies serve to single them out. According to the
Washington Post, these problems are exacerbated by the Trump Administration, and its failure to support groups like Life After Hate, and other entities that combat far-right extremism. By excluding groups that combat far-right extremism from rehabilitative
funding, the Department of Homeland Security widely limits its ability to target extremism in all of its forms.

H.R. 1453 seeks to lessen the number of hate crimes, threats and public disdain towards minorities in this country. Often, a national media narrative creates a perception that minorities, particularly Muslims, are the sole perpetrators of terror events.
This excludes individuals like Dylann Roof, the man charged in the massacre of nine African Americans in a Charleston, South Carolina church, and most recently, Stephen Paddock, who viciously opened fire at a concert in Las Vegas killing 59 people. We must
remember that the far-right extremism displayed during the Charlottesville riots took the life of activist Heather Heyer. We must broaden the definition of those we consider dangerous, and H.R. 1453 would allocate proper funding to countering all forms of
violent extremism. Please join me in my efforts to keep our nation safer from all extremist threats.

If you have any questions or would like to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation, please contact Robin Chand in my office atRobin.Chand@mail.house.gov.